MSCUA User Study: a study of users and use of images at the Manuscripts, Special Collections, University Archives

Principal Investigators: Niels Bartels, Cathy Billings, Gene Polhamus, Scott Rawlings

ABSTRACT: 

Based on an in-depth interview with Nicolette Bromberg, Photographics and Images Curator, a need to survey users of the Photography Collection at the University of Washington Manuscripts, Special Collections, and University Archives (MSCUA) was recognized.

We developed a self-administered survey consisting of four questions that gathered data about users’ needs, users’ affiliations, and how they discovered the collections.  In addition, Content Analysis methodology was used to collect supplemental data from user request forms and permission forms over a 24 month period.

Both methods used non-random convenience sampling.  The data was preliminarily analyzed to identify trends in archive usage. The majority of users in the self-administered surveys were either from an academic background or were personal researchers.  The request logs indicated that users outside of the university, particularly commercial media firms, outnumbered users from inside the university.

We acknowledge that survey participation was low and that more extensive studies are needed. We also acknowledge that both forms of data collection bias the results for certain types of users. For instance, the self-administered surveys reflected only on-site users. However, the information gathered may still assist MSCUA staff in developing targeted services and marketing efforts.